Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/103497
Stacy Clardie Participants at the Dream Bowl ran through tacklers Andy Garcia and Carlos Carvajal (right) to score touchdowns on Saturday. ball-carriers dodged through tackling dummies then had to barrel through would-be tacklers Andy Garcia and Carlos Carvajal — quickly becoming one of the more popular. Mary Ann Grove has been bringing son Chris, now 21, to Dream Season camps since its inception. She's grateful for the interaction and the activity. "These people look up to these players as their heroes," she said, "and relate to them because if they watch football and look at their number, they know who they are on the field. Plus, it gets them a chance to be able to do some of the things that they can't do." Purdue's Dream Bowl is organized by junior Kurt Freytag in coordination with Dream Season's Chris Oppy. "All the people who come, they remember the players," Freytag said. "They'll come and give us hugs. I already remember pretty much everyone's name that comes every time. It's awesome." Schweigert Seeking To Help Former Rival Former Purdue safety Stuart Schweight has reached out to help Charles Rogers, the former Michigan State and Detroit Lions' wide receiver who has seen his career fall apart due to drug and alcohol abuse. Rogers is at a treatment facility in Houston after violating terms of his bond by failing to report daily to authorities. The Saginaw, Mich., judge, along with the National Football League Players Association agreed that treatment was a better option for Rogers, rather than jail. And now Schweigert has expressed interesting in helping, as well. Schweigert and Rogers have a long relationship, stemming from their high school days in Saginaw. Schweigert attended Heritage High School, while Rogers attended Saginaw. And they completed in football, basketball and track, then did so again in college: Rogers was a wide receiver at MSU, while Schweigert played safety. Rogers was picked as the No. 2 overall selection of the 2003 draft — Schweigert was picked in the third round a year later — but was out of the league after three seasons. "He's a dear friend of mine; we grew up in sports together," Schweigert told MLive.com. "He truly is a nice person. I want to get him back involved in the community on a positive note. He has a very good story to tell our youth, to say, 'Look at what I had, look at what drugs and alcohol have done to my life.' "It would be very powerful." With his charitable organization, "Stu's Crew," Schweigert says he has a team in place that can help give Rogers' life a direction. Rogers, however, faces five misdemeanors stemming from two unrelated issues, but the court seems willing to work with him if he gets headed in a positive direction. "He has made a lot of mistakes," Schweigert said. "But time can heal all wounds. He has plenty of time to make a positive impact in the community and see what he could become. I'd love to be that person who could get him past that hump, and show him that there are people who want to see him do well." Forde Gives Purdue a 'B' Yahoo! Sports columnist Pat Forde graded the college head coaching hires this offseason, giving Purdue a B for its selection of Hazell. Forde wrote, "This may turn out to be an A-plus, but for now Hazell only has two years of head-coaching track record and led a Kent State team loaded with upperclassmen he didn't recruit. Have to wait and see if he's a program builder." j GoldanDBlack express • volume 23, express 17 • 25